We share many loves: We love to laugh. We love to create. We love games.

We’re passionate about making experiences engaging, meaningful and fun. We especially love to create spaces where individuals can experience self-discovery and have aha moments about themselves. We leverage our writing skills, facilitation skills and decades of youth & community development work to partner with agencies on their training and program development needs.

Susan Ragsdale

Founder

Best-selling author Susan Ragsdale is at heart a writer, a creative soul and a youth champion. She is a nationally recognized youth development specialist.

Susan has been teaching, writing and developing youth programs since 1992. Her work at the YMCA of Middle Tennessee included a variety of teen leadership and outreach programs, both locally and nationally with the YMCA of USA. From camp counselor to coaching the “Bulldawgs” to running a regional youth environmental service-learning program, Susan has historically worked with both national and local partners. She is recognized for her ability to craft professional development workshops that people want to attend and can apply what they learn.

Susan and her husband Pete enjoy movies, bookstores, dogs and friends, and Susan always has a creative project underway.

Ann Saylor

Master Trainer

Ann Saylor is a best-selling author, national trainer, creative classroom teacher, community organizer and passionate mom of 4 children. Her mission is to help youth and adults learn, serve and lead at their fullest potential.

Ann has been passionately teaching and writing with schools, churches and youth organizations since 1993. She developed and directed Harpeth Hall School’s community service program, taught civic leadership classes and led service-learning field trips. Currently, she teaches leadership and service classes at CHET Home School tutorial.

Ann is active as a volunteer staff person at 24 Church, helping with the small group ministry, volunteer days, Chosen Junior School (in Uganda) and church volleyball teams. Ann enjoys spending time with her husband Dan and their four children enjoying sports, games, reading and volunteering. Ann is a dream and connector with a talent for helping people and organizations function at their best. She loves to laugh and enjoy life to the fullest!

Jackie Hansom

Director of Youth Leadership

Jackie Hansom is most joyful when she gets to engage in youth-driven community change–the intersection of youth, education, community and justice.

Jackie facilitates youth development trainings, develops and edits curriculum and organizes community events. She partners with STARS Nashville to lead youth empowerment and anti-bullying trainings. Jackie works with her former students to lead events, activities andtrainings.

Jackie has a Masters in Race—Ethnicity—Conflict from Trinity College, Dublin. She has been a classroom educator in special education and U.S. History. She created the first Volunteer Management program in Teach For America.

She is an active alumna with Nashville Emerging Leaders and helps lead the Board of Eastwood Neighbors. Her other interests include quality food, quality people and quality time with an outdoor-concert-loving rescue dog named Eula Mae.

Let’s Craft Dynamic Learning Experiences Together

Discover What We Can Do For You

Name

Email Address

How Can We Help You Today?How Can We Help You Today?Staff DevelopmentCurriculum DesignCoachingBooksRetreat FacilitationSign me up for newsletters

What kind of staff development do you need?What kind of staff development do you need?team building (communication, trust, working together)coachingskill building for working with youthknowledge base in positive youth developmentservice-learningexperiential learningplay with purpose (connecting fun with research & teachable moments)

What kind of curriculum support do you need?What kind of curriculum support do you need?training design modulesprogram curriculumsummer camp curriculumcontent editingcontent writing (linking in best practices, research or debriefing questions)taking our training content & adding in activities to make it interactive

In what area does your team need coaching?In what area does your team need coaching?consulting with our staff team on programmatic issueslearning to integrate youth work best practices into our worklearning to integrate service-learning into our workintegrating more youth voice into our workhelping staff understand how to develop programming to meet goals

What are you looking for in our books?What are you looking for in our books?activities/games to develop my group of youthactivities for building common ground, respect & understanding, trust & vision within my staff teamactivities/games that develop brain healthactivities/games to aid with service-learningactivities/games for imagination & creativityactivities/games for youth leadershipactivities/games for energizing staff meetings/trainings